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Larry Blakeney came to his own roast already grateful, knowing so many of his good friends and former players would be there to share some stories and a few laughs about a career that has seen him transform Troy from a Division II contender to a Sun Belt power.

He thought he knew what to expect. Then came the unexpected.

A proclamation was read renaming the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium: Larry Blakeney Field.

"If I had known, I probably wouldn't have gone," the self-deprecating Blakeney joked in a phone interview from his office.

"I had no idea they were going to do that. Most of the time, you're dead and gone before anybody names anything for you. I just feel very blessed to have this opportunity. Now we’ve got to try to find out how to win with that new stadium moniker on there. I don’t want to jinx it -- I may take that sign down. We have got a pretty good home record, so I want to be sure we want to take pride in that and keep it going."

Blakeney has been the constant that has kept Troy going. After spending 14 seasons in various roles at Auburn, Blakeney took on the head-coaching job at Troy in 1990. He oversaw the transition from Division II to FCS to FBS -- joining Gene McDowell at UCF as the only coaches to successfully make that move. All the while, Blakeney accumulated one winning season after another. Indeed, he has had winning seasons in 15 of his 20 years as a head coach.

His Troy teams have won or shared five straight Sun Belt conference crowns, becoming the most recognizable and dominant team in that league. But this past season was not without its share of ups and downs. A tough 52-35 home loss to FIU in November was just the second on Homecoming under Blakeney. It also signaled a potential changing of the guard in the league, as the Trojans were no longer in control of their championship destiny.

But they pulled together and won their final three. They found out they won a share of the league title after landing following a win over FAU in the regular-season finale, thanks to an FIU loss to Middle Tennessee. Still, Blakeney thought plenty about his future after the Trojans had dropped three of four games and looked like they may not win another title.

"Winning is definitely the reason your motor runs," Blakeney said. "You take a bunch of them on the chin and that motor revs way down. We got some things turned around personnel wise, then we won three in a row basically going away and it just made the world a lot brighter and more fun. Losing ‘em -- it really puts a drab on everything."

There has not been much that has been drab about Troy under Blakeney. What is particularly interesting to note is despite all those wins, there has been little interest from outside schools in hiring him to run their programs. That has not really surprised Blakeney, and he has been more than happy to stay at a school that has meant so much to him.

As for what has allowed him to be so successful, Blakeney said simply: "Continuity and quality. I’ve been able to hire good quality here without a lot of money. A lot of those guys have ascended out of here to better jobs, bigger jobs, more money. Winning always gives you a chance to maybe hire a guy for less money because of the experience they might get. Everybody likes to win and that’s what drives me."

Even today, as he enters his 21st season as Troy head coach.

"I’m getting older, but I still like doing it, and as long as it’s like that, I’ll probably hang on," he said.

Break time! Now on to some links ...

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier spoke to the City Club of Boise on Monday night and had some interesting comments, partially transcribed in Chadd Cripe's blog on the Idaho Statesman.

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The playing surface at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Troy will be named for coach Larry Blakeney.

MAC coaches are taking the new taunting rule very seriously.

Can he catch? Check. Can he run? Check. Can he throw? Check. Can he return kicks? Check.

Not much is missing from the Jerrel Jernigan repertoire. One of the most versatile players in the country, the Troy wide receiver/returner/runner has just about done it all in his career there. In his senior season, Jernigan is poised to have his name etched all over the school and Sun Belt record books.

Just last week against Middle Tennessee, Jernigan set the Sun Belt record for receiving yards with 2,730. He now stands two receptions behind Danny Grant (215) for the all-time Troy record for career receptions and 16 catches behind former North Texas receiver Casey Fitzgerald (229) for the league career mark.

He already holds the school record for career all-purpose yards. So far this season, he ranks No. 4 in the country in all-purpose yards, averaging 178 a game.

Not bad for a high school quarterback.

But Jernigan knew he would not be a quarterback in college. He had his heart set on Auburn, but the Tigers never offered. He took a visit to Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets wanted him to move to defense. “I wasn’t having that,” he said.

When he visited Troy, he loved everything about the school. It didn’t hurt that it was an hour away from his parents. Coaches told him they wanted him to touch the ball eight to 10 times a game, but he says he opened eyes after a 100-yard game his freshman season against Georgia.

“I knew I had it in me,” Jernigan said. “I just had to get used to college game and the speed of the game.”

Jernigan had played some receiver in high school, but he never returned a punt or kickoff. He said it was not that hard to learn. You would have no idea he is relatively new at doing both. He started returning more punts this season for the eyes of NFL scouts, who told him last season they wanted to see him return punts.

His speed certainly helps. Jernigan said he ran the 40 in 4.28 seconds last year at junior pro day at his school. His mother ran track in high school and his father played basketball, but he says he has no idea where he got his speed. He also says he doesn’t do much to work on it -- he has always been naturally fast.

Jernigan also has a special toughness about him. Three days before the Middle Tennessee game, he had surgery on the bursa sac in his elbow. He played against the Blue Raiders with heavy padding on his elbow, catching four passes for 40 yards and a touchdown, and also had three carries for 17 yards. Coach Larry Blakeney praised Jernigan for playing in the game.

“He never whimpered about trying to get ready to play,” Blakeney said. “Some of the padding and maybe the tenderness may have affected his play a little bit, but you have to give this young man credit for showing up.”

Blakeney always worries about giving Jernigan too much to handle throughout the season, saying they run him down during a week of practice.

But Jernigan doesn’t mind, especially if it makes him more attractive for the NFL. He may be undersized at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, but there is no questioning his value.

After all, he can do it all.

Troy completed dominated Middle Tennessee in its 42-13 win Tuesday night, putting itself in the driver's seat in the Sun Belt race.

What else is new?

The Trojans (3-2, 2-0 Sun Belt) have now beaten the Blue Raiders (2-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) five straight times, and have won 12 straight Sun Belt games. They are going for their fifth straight conference title.

This season was supposed to be Middle Tennessee's year, but things have not gone exactly to plan. Middle Tennessee quarterback Dwight Dasher was suspended for the first four games of the season for improperly accepting a $1,500 loan. He made his return Tuesday night, but it was one to forget on a "Black Out" night in Murfreesboro.

“That is really important. They were picked No.1 in the Sun Belt, but I think it was more of a 'clear out' than a 'black out,'" Troy receiver Tebiarus Gill said.

Dasher dislocated the pinkie finger on his left hand on the second drive of the game and missed the rest of the first quarter. When he returned, Middle Tennessee was down 14-0. The Blue Raiders could not muster anything on offense, even with Dasher back. He looked rusty and out of sorts, and so did his teammates.

They had just 82 yards of total offense in the first half and ended the game with 207, including just 28 on the ground in the face of an attacking Troy defense. Dasher, who passed for 2,500 yards and ran for 1,000 yards last season, had 14 carries for a team-high 27 yards and went 22-of-37 for 172 yards.

He has traditionally struggled against Troy, and Tuesday night was no exception. Dasher was also sacked four times.

“We spent all week focusing on Dasher because we knew he was going to be a big key to their offense," said Troy linebacker Jacoby Thomas, who had two sacks. "We came in here wanting to go after him with blitzes and we blitzed him all night."

Meanwhile, Troy quarterback Corey Robinson continued to excel, going 26-of-37 for 259 yards with three touchdowns. Jerrel Jernigan, who was limited with an elbow injury, still had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. He also became the Sun Belt's all-time leading receiver with 2,730 yards, passing North Texas’ Johnny Quinn.

One bit of bad news for Troy: Backup quarterback Jamie Hampton is out for the season after breaking his leg. Hampton was injured on an 8-yard carry in the second quarter and will undergo surgery Wednesday. He has played in every game as a change of pace to Robinson, but coach Larry Blakeney fears his career could be over.

Dwight Dasher figures he will be nervous before Middle Tennessee plays Troy Tuesday night in a big Sun Belt conference showdown.

Who can blame him? It has been 10 months since he played in a football game, the first four contests of his senior season gone while he served an NCAA suspension for improperly accepting a $1,500 loan.

Dasher came into the season with high hopes and some outside Heisman buzz as one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the country, and it pained him to be in the meeting rooms and on the sideline knowing he could do nothing but watch.

But the season is far from over.

Middle Tennessee managed to go 2-2 without him, and is 1-0 in conference play going into the Troy game. This matchup could ultimately decide who ends up winning the league. Troy (2-2, 1-0) has won four straight conference championships, including four straight over the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee was the preseason pick to win it all.

“I mean we want to beat them bad,” Dasher said in a phone interview. “We’re trying to go out there and win, and be the conference champs this year.”

Dasher has plenty of motivation on all fronts. He is eager to get his season started, and has spent extra time at practice working with his receivers to try to shed some of the rust. The time off between the win over Louisiana on Sept. 25 has certainly helped because it has given Dasher extra time to get reps with the first team.

He does not anticipate being rusty, but coach Rick Stockstill knows it is expecting a lot to believe Dasher will be on top of his game.

“You can only simulate game time situations in practice so much and there’s nothing like getting out there and playing,” Stockstill said. “He hasn't played a live game since December. I'm sure there will be some rust but he's had great week of practice.”

There is also motivation to change the way he has played against Troy. Dasher has never had a good game against the Trojans. In a 31-7 loss last year, he was 24-of-44 for 245 yards with a touchdown, but was shut down in the run game, with 18 carries for 53 yards. He played sparingly his freshman year and came off the bench his sophomore year but did poorly in relief.

“They have keyed in on me a lot, not wanting me to run the ball,” said Dasher, who became the fourth player in NCAA history last season to pass for more than 2,500 yards and rush for more than 1,000 yards.

“So they’ll bring a little pressure. Our offensive line has to step it up and pick it up. If they do that, I’m going to have a good game.”

The Middle Tennessee offensive line has been banged up, so that is going to be a huge key in the game. Troy coach Larry Blakeney knows his team has to prepare differently with Dasher back on the field simply because he runs the ball more than his replacements did.

“We will have to prepare well for the draw, the power and the trap where he has the ball in his hands,” he said. “Sometimes they will just line him up and run it right or left. He is also not bad throwing the ball. We had a good game against him last year, but he is a viable guy who makes a difference.”

As for Troy, the Trojans have one of the top all-purpose players in the country in Jerrel Jernigan. He needs seven receptions to break the school record of 215 held by behind Danny Grant (1966-69) and 218 yards to break the career yards mark of 2,907 that Grant also holds.

But much of the spotlight will be on Dasher and how he does in his return.

“I’m ready to get back out there and play, give everything I got especially the game I’m coming back for,” Dasher said.

Former TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes doesn’t regret putting his NFL dream on hold to get his college degree.

UCF seems to be the top target for the Big East if it expands.

San Jose State is now turning its attention to its season opener against Alabama.

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With four consecutive conference titles, Troy coach Larry Blakeney has the Trojans moving in the right direction.

With two practices remaining in spring football, Troy's quarterback competition has narrowed to two.

Junior Jamie Hampton and redshirt freshman Corey Robinson took all the reps with the first and second strings during Saturday’s T-Day scrimmage and further distanced themselves from junior college transfer Greg Jenkins, who is the third competitor for the starting quarterback role. Junior Dan Parker, who was in the competition early, could not complete spring ball because of injury.

Hampton went 14-of-27 for 205 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while Robinson went 15-of-23 for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Jenkins completed 9 of 19 passes for 58 yards.

"Both of them are real competitive," head coach Larry Blakeney told media after the scrimmage. “Corey is a little behind because he hasn't played. He looks to pull it down and run and sometimes that gets you in trouble. They all three have had their moments, but I think we've got to challenge the guys that want to be quarterback here with a leadership role. They have to direct the offense and not be shy to speak up.”

Hampton has the leg up in the leadership role after spending half his freshman season as the Trojans starting quarterback before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He redshirted last season and was expected to be the front-runner for the starting role. However, Robinson has made securing the starting spot difficult on Hampton, something he expected before spring practices began.

“I don’t think anyone should get anything handed to them, they should go earn it and as a competitor that’s all you can really ask for is a fair shot,” Hampton said. “I’m just looking forward to getting the opportunity to play.”

Blakeney said he could see either Hampton or Robinson as his starting quarterback in the fall and that both players have put up consistent numbers to show they can handle the position. Jenkins, Blakeney said, probably needs another year in the Trojans’ system.

Junior quarterback Dantavious Parker will have surgery Tuesday to repair his right (non-throwing) collarbone, the Dothan Eagle reported.

Parker suffered the injury during Saturday’s scrimmage when he was hit on a play. Parker and fellow mobile quarterback Greg Jenkins are “live” in scrimmages because of their ability to run. So, Parker is eligible to be hit by a defender.

Troy coach Larry Blakeney told the paper that Parker could be back in two weeks, but his spring football season is over.

The injury does hurt Parker’s chance of being Troy’s starter in the fall. Parker was competing against Jenkins, Jamie Hampton and Corey Robinson.

"It doesn’t help him," Blakeney said. "But we know what he can do. He’s a great young man and he’ll come back from it."

The Dothan (Ala.) Eagle is reporting that Troy defensive tackle Eugene Kinlaw has decided to forgo his senior season and pursue professional opportunities.

Kinlaw will try to continue his football career in Canada or by entering the NFL’s supplemental fraft in June.

Troy coach Larry Blakeney said Kinlaw, the only returning starter on the defensive line, was facing hardship issues which forced him to turn pro.

“There’s lots of different reasons why people [pursue professional opportunities],” Blakeney told the paper. “This boy’s not in trouble. I love the kid. He hasn’t done a thing bad.”

Kinlaw signed with Troy in 2007, but failed to meet the academic requirements and went to Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. He emerged as the National Junior College Defensive Player of the Year after the 2008 season and had 32 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in his only season with the Trojans.

Troy coach Larry Blakeney isn’t panicking yet, but he does realize the situation his program is in needs to be addressed soon.

With about three weeks until national signing day, Troy is without an offensive coordinator and a running backs coach. Neal Brown took the offensive coordinator position at Texas Tech and Chad Scott followed to be the running backs coach. Both coaches also were good recruiters, so this past weekend was spent reaffirming commitments to players who were recruited by those coaches.

“I think we’re going to be OK,” Blakeney said regarding the players Brown and Scott had recruited. “Recruiting is affected sometimes by who’s there, but the main thing is what we’ve done already.”

Blakeney said he has both internal and external candidates to fill the offensive coordinator position and that he feels confident that he’ll find the right guy. Blakeney said he’s already talked to current offensive line coach John Schlarman, inside receivers coach Kenny Edenfield and outside receivers coach Shayne Wasden about possibly filling the role.

“We’ve got some good names and we’ve already sort of pounded them a little bit on meeting and talking to them about who fits here or there,” Blakeney said. “We’re trying to make sure we stay as close to people that understand and have actually worked in this system as much as possible. We’ve got some candidates possibly, but we’re nowhere close to making it happen yet.”

Blakeney said ideally he’d like to have all of his open positions filled before signing day on Feb. 3. In addition to filling the offensive coordinator and running backs positions, he needs to fill either a quarterback or receivers coach slot.

Whoever the Trojans pick to lead the offense will inherit a deep and talented group. The Trojans return seven players on offense, including star receiver Jerrel Jernigan and the running back duo of DuJuan Harris and Shawn Southward. Troy also returns quarterback Jaime Hampton, who was the starter in 2008 before suffering a season ending knee injury. He sat out this season to be ready to take the starting roll in 2010, but he’ll have a couple young guys challenging him this spring.

“Having the quarterback back is a key thing,” Blakeney said. “And then we have some guys who have played a little bit, which should make the situation a little easier.”

It’s always going to be difficult for the Sun Belt Conference to draw as much attention and praise as some of the other non-AQ conferences get simply because of the nonconference schedules its teams play.

Florida, Alabama and LSU are mainstays on nonconference schedules and make pulling off the undefeated season almost impossible. But the Sun Belt Conference is good for at least one upset of a major conference school every year. This season, Middle Tennessee defeated Maryland for the second consecutive year and Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Kansas State.

While Troy didn’t pull off any big upsets, it did manage to run through the conference season undefeated and claim its fourth consecutive Sun Belt title, matching North Texas as the only teams to accomplish that feat.

For the third time in the past four seasons, the Sun Belt is sending two teams to bowl games, which also has helped them secure two guaranteed bowls for the upcoming bowl cycle. Previously, the Sun Belt had just one guaranteed bowl.

This is the first time in conference history that the Sun Belt has boasted two nine-win teams in Troy and Middle Tennessee. Prior to this season, the conference had only one team ever win nine games (North Texas in 2003).

But the Sun Belt Conference is also the youngest conference in the FBS and is still working toward better schedules, better rosters and better access. The achievements Troy and Middle Tennessee have made this year will only help the conference down that path.

Offensive MVP: Troy quarterback Levi Brown

Brown became the all-time single-season passing yardage leader in Sun Belt Conference history and won the Player of the Week award a record six times. In his first full season of starting, Brown set Troy and Sun Belt Conference single-season records for passing yards (3,868) and total offense (3,887).

Defensive MVP: Middle Tennessee defensive end Chris McCoy

McCoy had 59 tackles, 20 for loss, seven sacks, three pass breakups, a blocked kick and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 68 yards for a touchdown. He anchored a unit that led the nation in tackles for loss.

Newcomer of the Year: Troy running back Shawn Southward

Southward didn’t really catch fire until late in the season, but he had two 100-yard rushing games and scored a school record four touchdowns against Western Kentucky. He was the Trojans leading rusher with 574 yards on just 100 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per rush.

Coach of the Year: Troy’s Larry Blakeney

In the latter half of this decade, Blakeney has made Troy a powerhouse in the Sun Belt Conference. The team has won four consecutive conference titles and two consecutive outright titles. This year’s 8-0 campaign was Troy’s first undefeated conference season since joining the Sun Belt and a win in a bowl game would set the single-season record by a Sun Belt team.

Biggest Surprise: Middle Tennessee

To think that Middle Tennessee would be able to win nine games, the most since becoming an FBS school, and challenge for the conference championship with a new quarterback, offense and offensive coordinator is almost unfathomable. But Middle Tennessee pulled off several big wins to become the most improved team in the conference.

Biggest disappointment: Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic

Both of these teams had several top seniors returning and both were supposed to challenge Troy for the Sun Belt title. But Florida Atlantic lost its first four and six of its first eight and Arkansas State lost eight of its first 10 to notch some of the worst seasons both teams have seen in quite some time.

Game of the Year: Louisiana-Lafayette 17, Kansas State 15 (Sept. 12)

Junior kicker Tyler Albrecht made a 42-yard field goal with 32 seconds left to give the Ragin’ Cajuns an upset victory over the Wildcats and their first 2-0 start since 1990. The kick was Albrecht’s first-ever collegiate attempt.

Troy and Arkansas have never had a real rivalry.

The teams have only played twice and Arkansas has won both contests by an average of 21.5 points per game.

But during the Sun Belt coaches teleconference this week, Troy coach Larry Blakeney spent a good chunk of his 10-minute session denying comments that he said his team could beat the Razorbacks.

“Somebody said that I said something about us beating Arkansas, which I have never said that to anyone,” Blakeney said. “We’re going to do our best to get a plan to go to Arkansas and play as well as we can. We’ve been close on some of those occasions, but it’s still an SEC team and Arkansas is certainly, as good as they’re playing now, they’ll be a difficult task for us or anybody else. But I’ve never made any kind of stupid comment like that in my life. I’m not a prediction guy.”

The comment was posted on Phil Steele’s blog from Aug. 14 among several other tidbits about various schools around the country.

I did a show on Monday in Alabama with Robert Booth. Robert said that last week he met with coach Larry Blakeney of Troy and that coach Blakeney told him they WILL beat Arkansas this year! He also said that in all the years that he had talked with the coach over the summer, it was the first time he had told him of a projected upset like that.

Blakeney was irate that his name was attached to the rumor and said that he’d never do anything to jeopardize his team’s chances to win. Basically, it’s a he-said-he said situation, but it’s made Saturday’s nonconference game a little more intriguing.

Troy has defeated just one SEC team since joining the FBS -- Mississippi State in 2001, and has just three wins over automatic qualifying schools since that time.

“I don’t make those kinds of statements and I don’t do that kind of stuff for my team,” Blakeney said. “I’ve never been on anybody’s bulletin board with that kind of rank comment. I’m not trying to deny anything that I did. I’m just trying to tell you the straight truth. I’ve never made that kind of statement.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Both Troy coach Larry Blakeney and Louisiana-Monroe coach Charlie Weatherbie can remember last year's 51-yard field goal attempt like it was yesterday.

The ball from Troy kicker Sam Glusman seemingly stayed in the air for hours as it approached the crossbar and decided the game. A bounce forward and Troy wins. A bounce backward and Louisiana-Monroe has the upset.

The ball bounced off the crossbar and back into the field of play, giving ULM a 31-30 win. It’s lone bright spot in a 4-8 season. It gave Troy its only loss in conference play.

The missed kick was the final mistake in a series miscues by the Trojans. They missed three field goals in the game, turned the ball over twice and allowed a safety.

“Before that field goal at the end, we’d missed two field goals and given up a safety,” Blakeney said. “I’m not trying to make excuses, but that’s 11 points right there.”

This weekend’s game has more at stake than a year ago. Both teams are unbeaten in Sun Belt play and atop the conference standings. Troy has a one game lead because ULM stepped out of conference last week to play Kentucky.

The game against the Warhawks always presents an interesting challenge. Although Troy has won two of the past three games, ULM has made the game interesting in the second half.

“They’ve got a lot of strike power and I think the scheme that they offer is one that gives everybody problems because it’s a little bit unique and different,” Blakeney said. “And they’re good enough in the special teams that they can match you up. So, we feel like we’ve got to play our best game and I guess that’s the way it ought to be if you’re going to lead the league going into this part of the season.”

Troy and ULM rank first and second in the conference in scoring. The Trojans have the league’s best total offense, but Louisiana-Monroe ranks second in the conference in total defense.

“I’m hoping we can stay in the game with them, they’re a darn good football team,” Weatherbie said. “They’re a team that I think is as good as any team in our conference. They were picked to win this conference.”

While ULM still has five conference games remaining and Troy has four, this game will give the winner a great shot at the Sun Belt title and the New Orleans Bowl. Troy already has beaten Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee, two of the top competitors in the league, and ULM has a win over the Red Wolves as well. The only other team that could challenge for the league title is Florida Atlantic.

Troy has been one of the hottest teams in the country the past month and a half. After losing its first two games, the Trojans have rattled off five consecutive wins. But Blakeney doesn't want his team to get too confident. That was part of the problem a year ago.

“We’ve got a chance to be pretty good,” Blakeney said. “We’ve gotten better every week since we left the Florida Gators [after Week 2]. We’ve won five straight and gained a little confidence. Everything seems to be going a little bit better. But you can’t take a breather or you’ll wind up getting beat, especially against these guys. They’ve always been very good no matter where we play. It’s always been a tough game.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

TROY TROJANS (4-2, 30 Sun Belt)

Troy had a slow start with losses in its first two games, but has rallied to win its last four and look poised to win its fourth consecutive Sun Belt title. However, coach Larry Blakeney has said several times this season that this year’s Sun Belt field has been the toughest he’s seen in his five seasons in the conference. Although the Trojans have defeated Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State, two of the toughest competitors in the conference, Louisiana-Monroe is tied atop the conference with the Trojans, setting up a key matchup between the two squads next week.

Offensive MVP

Levi Brown, QB: Brown started the season as the undisputed starter after former starter Jaime Hampton decided to redshirt while recovering from a knee injury and he hasn’t disappointed, He’s thrown for 1,679 yards and nine touchdowns, but in three of the last four games, Brown has thrown for 350 or more yards.

Defensive MVP

Bear Woods, LB: Woods might not lead the team statistically, but he is the heart and soul of the defense. The Trojans were 0-2 with him out of the lineup because of injury and they are 4-0 with him back. Woods does have 25 tackles this season and a tackle for loss.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Troy coach Larry Blakeney takes nothing for granted.

Although his team has won the Sun Belt Conference title each of the past three seasons and already has two big wins over opponents many thought would be in the hunt for the league championship, Blakeney isn’t prepared to relax.

“We are gaining confidence and we are gaining glue, chemistry-wise, but it’s a dangerous thing, too, because if [confidence] edges over the realm of being overconfident then you got a chance to go somewhere and find a team that’s going to get after you good for 60 minutes and to lose,” Blakeney said.

That team might be Florida International this weekend.

Although the Golden Panthers have just one win this season, many expected the team to have a breakout year and shock some opponents, especially within the conference. Troy is 5-0 against FIU and defeated the Golden Panthers 33-23 last season. But Blakeney has been steadfast all season that this league is as good as he's ever seen it and that any team has the capability to knock the Trojans off.

“FIU is very capable and they’re playing at home,” Blakeney said. “It’s always a challenge to go play down there whether you’re playing FIU or FAU or anywhere else on the road in our league. It’s certainly a situation that you don’t relish, but you’ve got to deal with.

“I certainly don’t think there’s anybody in our conference that can’t beat us even confident or overconfident or whatever. We’ve got to make sure that we’re taking care of business each and every week, trying to do the right things and prepare well. I think we’re gaining confidence, but at the same time it’s also a dangerous thing.”